Love Fades, Mine Has
by Dream Craziness
Summary: Love Fades, Mine Has - those famous four little words ripped Rose apart when they left Dimitri's lips. Seeing the pain he caused her, his own heart shattered in tiny pieces. Will he be able to accepted unconditional love? Rated M for a sexual content. Disclaimer: Richelle Mead and her brilliant imagination own all of the characters.
1. Chapter 1

**Dimitri's POV**  
After everything I've done to her...I know this is for the best. 'Love fades, mine has' it hurt to say, I know it hurt her to hear. Oh, those eyes! What have I done?

Quickly exiting the church I see Rose in the distance. I...I can't. My head tells me to turn and walk away. It's over, it's done. My heart tells me to go after her. My feet listen to my heart, I find myself briskly walking in her direction. My guards are following me, I don't care. They must have seen the look on her face, I wonder if they heard our conversation? Does it really matter if they did? I'm sure anyone that has witnessed us has their own theory on our Mentor/Student relationship.

"That's far enough." One of the guards says as I reach her building.

"Please," I whisper. Just then another guardian approached.

"Let him go, I'll take responsibility." He says. I recognize him. It's the guardian that was with her when she visited me in my cell. What was his name? Mikhail? That name sounds so familiar. Yes, Mikhail, Sonya's lover. He must know. Exactly what does he know I wonder?

"Fine. But we go too." My guard finally says. Gesturing toward the building entrance.

"Thank you." I say. Giving a nod of appreciating and understanding to Mikhail. He gives a meaningful look, then leans into me,

"Don't hurt her anymore. She's been through hell and back. All in the name of love. All for you." His voice barely audible, but I hear the threatening tone. I nod again. And walk to her room.

Standing in front of her door, my heart starts pounding. My pulse is racing and my palms grow clammy. Get a grip, it's just Rose. It's Rose, just Rose, my Roza. I keep telling myself that as I knock on the door. My guards take position on either side of the door. After the third knock the door opens. My heart sinks.

"Roza..." Is all I could say. The look on her face, she's not surprised. She's not mad. She's not upset. The look is a look I've only seen once before, on the bridge in Russia. It's a look of defeat. Suddenly her expression changes. She furrows her eye brows and then her eyes widen. Stepping closer to me she reaches up and wipes a tear from my cheek. I didn't realize I'd lost control of my emotions.

"I'm sorry" I whisper. Holding her gaze all the love that I once felt for her came rushing back to me, ten fold. My heart swells, I don't deserve to be loved. Yet she loves me. How can I keep hurting her? I lift my hand toward her face. Out of the corner of my eye I see one of my guards twitch. Ignoring him, I push a strain of loose hair behind her ear. She steps even closer to me, only inches away. I twirl her soft, silky hair around my finger and smile. God, how I love her hair. Her eyes, red and puffy from crying earlier, are now staring at me in curiosity and wonder.

I reach out to her and she instantly wraps her arms around my midsection. I engulf her with my embrace, resting my check on the top of her head. Closing my eyes I feel warmth spread through my body. How could I have given this up? How can I live without my Roza?

I'm not sure how long we stay in our embrace, but finally one of the guards clears his throat. That brings me back to reality. Rose flinches, she quickly looks around and takes in our surroundings. I think it's the first time she realized we had an audience. I loosen my embrace, ever so slightly. She looks up at me and flashes one of her Rose Hathaway smiles. A smirk spreads across my face, I know her looks and that one means trouble.

"I'll watch him boys." She says as she pulls me inside her room and shuts the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Once the door is closed I turn to face her. She locks the door. What am I doing? I ask myself.

"Rose," she steps closer to me, placing her index finger against my lips.

"No, don't say anything." She says. "I know what you're thinking." I crook an eye brow at her. "You're about to try and talk your way out of this...situation."

"What situation is that?" Damn. I forgot how well she knows me. She flashes one of her most seductive looks.

"You...me...alone...in my room...with no reason to stay in control." She walks her fingers up my chest. And I realize, she's right. While I was Strigoi she had her 18th birthday and graduated. Therefore she's of age and no longer my student.

She must've noticed the change in me, because she was ready when my lips met hers. I grabbed her wrists and pinned her against the door, hard. My kisses are harder. I want her, I need her. I loose control, letting out all the emotions I've held back for the past year. Our kiss deepens and quickens. I can't get enough, I trail kisses along her jawline and she lets out a soft moan. A low growl erupts from my throat.

"I love you." She whispers.

"Oh Roza, I've always loved you." I say against her ear, between gentle nips on her lobe. I reach down and grab her thighs lifting her up. Without hesitation she wraps her legs around my waist as I find her lips again.

Our kisses grow in intensity and passion as I walk across the room. Laying her gently on the bed, I raise up to look at her.

"You're so beautiful." I say before I find her swollen lips again. We're both so eager. We've shared passionate kisses before, stolen in the gym or in the cabin at St. Vladimir's. Even in Russia, though I don't want to think about that. But this is different, this is heady.

"I need you." She says. Her fingers caress my back and I feel her nails dig into my skin. I grunt. Smothering kisses down her neck I make my way to her collarbone. My hands grab her hips and I squeeze. We're both breathing heavy.

"I'm nothing without you." I say, raising up to look at her again. She sits up and we quickly remove our clothes - all of them.

Slowly laying down again, I trace the side of her body from her shoulder down to her hip. She quivers under my touch. The look in her eye is wild with desire. Any notion of control I was still clinging onto, was completely undone with that look. The burning passion I feel explodes like a wild animal. Tonight I will not be gentle, tonight I will not go slow, tonight I need to feel her as much as she needs me.

I cup her breasts, tweaking her nipples until they're hard. A moan escapes her. We're not worried about being heard and it's a good thing because she's being very loud. I tease her nipples with my tongue before she rolls me on my back.

"I need you...NOW!" She says in a husky voice. Rearing up and positioning herself, she slides down onto me. We both let out an audible sigh of complete and utter ecstasy.

The rest of the day and night is a blur. A dream I wish would never end. We found countless ways to pleasure each other, before finally giving in to sleep. One of our more creative ideas was to spar against each other. Fighting against her again, even though it was a faux fight, brought back all my guilt of the last time we were set against each other. Determination. My avenging angel. I saw it in her eyes, just like in Russia. She would have staked me, even though it would have killed her to do it. I pull her that much closer to me.

Snuggled in bed, our naked bodies intertwined, I steal a look at my beautiful Rose and smile.

"I love you Roza, I always have and always will." I say. She smiles gingerly and tightens her grips around me.

"You're not planning on going anywhere, are you?" She asks.

"No." I say. "I'll never leave you again." I feel her smile against my chest. Kissing her forehead I drift off into welcomed sleep.

I wake before she does, careful not to disturb her I only move to gaze upon her.

"Oh Rose, if only you knew how much you undo me. There isn't anything in this world that will keep me from you. Nothing. Ever." I whisper as I kiss the top of her head. She starts to stir.

"You're still here, comrade." She says.

"Yes." I lean down to kiss her.

"Mmm. I can get use to this." She says.

"Hopefully one day." I muse. "But, I should get going." The look on her face pierced my heart.

"Go? Go where exactly?" She asks.

"Back to my room. I should shower and get a clean pair of clothes." I say. "Will you meet me for breakfast at the coffee shop?"

"Are you asking me out on a date?" She's being playful. I smile.

"Yes, I guess I am. Rosemarie Hathaway, will you go out on a date with me?"

"Yes, but only on one condition." She says. Furrowing my forehead, she continues. "We leave from here. You know as well as I know that those clothes aren't dirty. You didn't wear them long enough yesterday." She smiles and I let out a full belly laugh.

"And the shower?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. Her lips lift up into a very mischievous smirk.

"I think I'll join you." She says as she climbs out of bed and walks toward the bathroom. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.


	3. Chapter 3

At the coffee shop we're enjoying our breakfast chatting about nothing in particular, when one of my guards steps closer to Rose and asks,

"Hey Rose, are you going to go to the Council today?"

"Yes." She says. Then I see it, that look of mischief flash across her face. "Well, if they let me in that is. I'll even try to be on good behavior." She displays a rueful grin.

"Give them hell! They deserve your wrath over that stupid age law." The guard says.

"What age law?" I ask, looking between the guard and Rose.

"You haven't heard?" Rose asks. I shake my head. "Dhampirs will graduate at sixteen..."

"What?" I say. "No sixteen-year-old is ready to fight a Strigoi. That's suicide!" _I can't believe they've passed that stupid law. The Moroi think it will swell the Dhampir ranks, maybe it will short term. But long term, all those sixteen and seventeen year olds will die during their first encounter with a Strigoi. _

"How did it come to pass? How could they think they'll be ready so young?" I ponder, not expecting to get a response.

"They used me as an example." Rose said flatly. Her words were full of spite and rage.

"You?" I ask. She nods. If looks could kill, I'd have two daggers through my eyes and a stake through my heart. "But, you're not the average Dhampir."

"I know." She says with a smirk. "I tried to tell them, but you know Royals, they don't listen too well."

It was about that time I noticed a hush fall over the coffee shop. Quickly glancing around I see several of the Royal Guardians enter and head straight toward our table. _Now what do they want? Scanning their faces, I see it in their eyes, they're on a mission. _Instinctively, Rose and I jump up, knocking our chairs on the floor. We take a protective battle stance, back-to-back.

"You need to come with us." The lead guardian says.

"Leave him alone! He didn't do anything. Why can't you accept that he's healed, that he's a dhampir again!" Rose yells. She steps forward in a gesture to protect me.

"We're not here for him. We're here for you." He says.

"Me?" I could hear the puzzlement in her voice.

"Please come nicely. But if you won't, we will take you by force." The guard takes a step toward her.

"Don't come any closer." I hiss, stepping protectively in front of Rose. Shielding her body with mine. _Why would they want Rose? The Queen's Guardians, in such force, I count a couple dozen cramped inside this small coffee shop. What could she have possibly done?_ This is ridiculous. "You're not touching her." I say through a tight lip.

They advance from all sides. We're surrounded. I won't let them get anywhere near her. I won't even let her join the fight, if they get a single hand on her, it'd all be over. Suddenly she grabs my arm and yells,

"STOP!" I take down another guardian that advanced toward us. And once again, more calmly this time, she says "Stop. Please. Dimitri, please stop."

"I won't let them take you." I whisper. "I just got you back." She gives me a pleading look.

"Please. You have to stop this and let them take me." She says. I see it in her eyes. She's protecting me. The more I fight, the more they're fearful. I'm only making things worse, for her and me. I close my eyes and my head sinks. She grabs my hand and squeezes.

"Okay, I'll go with you. But, leave him alone. He only thought I was in trouble." She says to the guard in charge. Squeezing her hand one last time, she walks toward the guard. He slips handcuffs on her and says,

"Rosemarie Hathaway, you're under arrest for high treason." _Rose, what have you done now? Do I even want to know? What did she tell me, something she did for me...well beyond crazy? Oh Rose..._

"And the high treason would be?" She asks.

"The murder of Queen Tatiana." he says. Her face sunk, as did my heart. She was in a trance as they lead her away. I took a step forward, but one of my guards blocked me.

"Stay. You'll only make it worse." he says. "You can't help her if you're sharing a cell." I nod in understanding.


	4. Chapter 4

I head to the only person I trust. Lissa.

I find her with Christian pacing in front of the administrative building.

"Dimitri!" She says upon seeing me, "You shouldn't be here. It's too chaotic. And, well, you may just feed the fury." Putting on my best guardian mask that I've perfected for so long, I shield all emotions from my face and say,

"Lissa, what are we going to do?" Her frantic look puzzles me. "What is it? What's wrong?" I ask.

"I'm not sure what we can do. I don't even know what's going on, except the Queen's been murdered and they arrested Rose." Christian grabs her hand.

"Then you know as much as I do. And that she didn't do it." I say.

"Are...are you certain?" Lissa stumbles over her words. _I know it hurts her to think that of her best friend._

"Yes. I know Rose better than anyone else. She didn't do it, it's not in her to murder." I say.

"But, what if she fell to the craziness of darkness again?" Lissa whispers.

"Lissa," I calmly say, "that hasn't happened in a long time. I know what it was like for her to struggle against it. She's stronger now. She wouldn't let it overtake her like that again."

Running a hand through my hair, I let out a breath of frustration. All those memories of the night I calmed her down from the darkness, when she was on the verge of crazy. The internal struggle I helped her through. And then, the passion that passed between us. _Oh Roze...what have you gotten yourself into now?_

"You're right." Lissa finally says. "I don't know what I was thinking. I know Rose too. And she's just not capable of murder."

"Well, in the cold-blooded sense." Christian smirks.

"Lissa!" We hear her name called from across the crowd. It's Adrian and his mother, Daniella.

"Adrian what's going on?" Lissa asks. No response. But the glare he's giving me sends chills down my spine. This isn't the time for boyfriend/ex-boyfriend drama.

"The Queen was killed last night and Rose is their main suspect." Danielle answers.

"I know that. That's about all I do know. But obviously there's been a mistake." Lissa says.

"No, I'm afraid not." Says a familiar voice from behind us. It's Tasha, Christian's Aunt.

"Dimitri, what a pleasant surprise." She says, flashing me a playful grin.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Hello Tasha." I say.

"Aunt Tasha, what do you know?" Christian asks.

"The same I'm afraid. That the Queen is dead and Rose is their main suspect."

"It's a mistake. They're wrong." Lissa says.

"Are you so sure my dear?" Tasks asks.

"Yes." Lissa and I respond simultaneously.

Glaring at me Tasha says, "Well, supposedly they have some hard evidence against her."

"Evidence like what? Crashing the Death Watch and voicing her opinion over the age law?" Christian asks.

"Those would make her a suspect, but they aren't enough for hard evidence." I was surprised to hear Danielle speak. _I have no clue what they're referring to as the 'Death Watch', but being somewhere she shouldn't, sounds just like Rose._

"What are we going to do?" Lissa asks again.

"Did anyone see Rose yesterday or know where she was last night?" Danielle asks.

"I think she was in her room. But I didn't see her at all yesterday." Lissa says. Christian nods in agreement. Adrian's staring at the floor.

"I'm sorry to say it kids, but if she doesn't have someone to verify her whereabouts" Tasha's cut off by Adrian,

"She wasn't alone." he says, "was she Belikov?" Everyone turns to look at me, Lissa staring at me in wonder, studying my face for any sign of emotion.

"No." Is all I say with a straight face.

"What do you mean? Who was with her?" Tasha asks in a strained voice.

"I was." I say.

"Dimitri, no." Lissa says. My head falls forward.

"He was there. Unless there's someone else that is escorted around by four guards." Adrian flatly says.

"What time where you there?" Danielle asks.

"After church." I say. I start to loose my composure. I've never talked about our relationship with anyone before. No one truly understand how much she means to me.

"What time did you leave? If you left before the queen was murdered then Rose still has no alibi." Tasha says. I closed my eyes and take a deep breath.

"We left together, this morning." I look down at my feet. At the moment, I don't have the courage to look at anyone. I don't want to see their faces. I'm not shameful, I'm embarrassed. Adrian is her boyfriend - it's public knowledge. There are even rumors of their elopement to Vegas.

"Dimitri," Tasha's voice is harsh, yet stern, "listen to me. You may think you can help her by giving her an alibi, but from what I hear the hard evidence they have on her is indisputable. If you give her an alibi, they'll mark you as an accomplice."

"She's right." Lissa says. "Dimitri, promise me you won't jeopardize all the progress we've made." My heart ached. _I know what Tasha says is true. Who am I? An ex-Strigoi and her ex-Mentor. Of course I'm a prime target for an accomplice. But I once told Rose I'd never let anything happen to her. I love her. It'll damage her reputation, and mine, if I step forward. But who are we kidding, both our reputations are already burned. But for the public to know...it'll hurt Adrian..._

"Dimitri?" Lissa's voice pulls me out of my revere. She must see my inner struggle in my eyes. She's always been good at reading people. "You pledged yourself to me, remember? Please listen to me now and don't do anything foolish." I nod.

Adrian is watching me intently. _What did Rose once tell me about him, he reads auras? I wonder what mine is telling him now?_


	5. Chapter 5

"Mr. Belikov," a mans voice calls from behind me. I turn around to see two Guardians standing beside my usual four guards.

"Yes." I cautiously say.

"You need to come with us." One of them says.

"Why? What for?" Lissa quickly asks.

"Guardian Hans would like a word." He motions for me to follow and I comply.

"Mr. Belikov, have a seat." Hans says as I enter the room. His eyes go wide with agitation when he sees the others filing in behind me. Lissa, Christian, Tasha, and even Adrian accompanied me and are take a seat at the table.

"What is this about?" Lissa asks.

"Princess Dragomir, this matter doesn't concern you." Hans flatly says.

"If it concerns Dimitri, it concerns us." Tasha says with force. I can't help but smirk watching Tasha take on Hans. _The only thing better would be seeing Rose going head-to-head with him_. Ignoring her, he turns his attention to me,

"Where were you last night?" He asks.

"You can't be serious! Rose has already been arrested for the murder." Tasha's outburst caught us all by surprise.

"One more outburst and I will have you removed." Hans says, never removing his eyes from mine. I take a deep breath.

"I was with Rose." _It feels good to get it out in the open, not having to hide my feelings anymore_. His expression tells me he already knew though, and his nod confirms it.

"Why ask if you already knew?" Lissa asks. Again he doesn't remove his eyes from mine.

"This isn't about last night." I say.

"Very observant Mr. Belikov." Hans says.

"What do you mean? What else is there? You can't seriously be thinking of a statutory rape case in the middle of a murder case?" Tasha speaks freely. Everyone gives her a sharp look.

"There will be an investigation, at some point, I assure you. But we have a bigger problem. Your little display this morning has put fear back into the Moroi." Hans says. "They're calling it 'Strigoi rage'."

"He's NOT a strigoi anymore! He's been healed. Why can't you see that." Christian grabs Lissa's hand to calm her down.

"What happened this morning?" Tasha asks.

"Mr. Belikov took down almost the entire lot of the Royal Guards, single handedly."

"What? When? He was with us," Lissa's cut short,

"In the coffee shop. You were with Rose when she was arrested." I close my eyes and nod to Adrian. A hush falls over the room.

"I was protecting her." I say breaking the silence.

"A mighty display at that. Do you think you've retained some of your Strigoi fighting strength?" Hans asks. _I've had this fear since I was first healed, could it be true? That is precisely one of the reasons I wanted, needed, to stay away from Rose. The unknown. Could my anger be fueled by lingering Strigoi evil? _

"No." Adrian says before I can answer. "If you've ever seen him fight before he was turned, then you'd know what he did this morning was just child's play for Dimitri."

"Lord Ivashkov I find it interesting that you've seen Mr. Belikov in battle." Hans states.

"I didn't say I've seen him in battle." Hans stiffens at Adrian's flippant remark.

"But I have." Christian interjects cutting through the tension in the room. "I didn't see his actions this morning, but I did see him take down more Strigoi than we could count. During the attack at St. Vladimir's, he held them off by himself, while Rose alerted the Guardians."

"But not completely unscathed." Hans says.

"If you're familiar with the events, sir, you'd know he did survive the attack. It was the next day during the rescue attempt he was taken." Hans glares at Lissa, she sits tall and proud with a smug look on her face. _I hope she isn't harboring too much of spirits darkness. _

"Sir, a word if I may?" One of my guards steps away from the wall. Hans nods.

"You've seen Guardian Hathaway in battle. You've seen what she can do. She was amazing at the warehouse. At the end, when she was against," he pauses stealing a glance at me, "no one questioned her abilities." A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. I remember,_ she was my avenging angel come to deliver the justice of heaven. __I saw it in her eyes at the last moment, she was prepared to kill me. And I her. All in the name of love. A dark and twisted forbidden romance, a tragic love story. _Hans sharp voice brings me back to the present.

"Make your point." Hans says.

"He was her teacher, her mentor. He trained her how to fight. Don't you think if she's so gifted, that he would be too?"

"What I think is irrelevant. It's what the Moroi think that counts. And right now they think he has lingering Strigoi strength and possible other side effects." Hans rests his hands on the table, showing sign of fatigue for the first time.

"We can tell the truth." I offer, catching everyone by surprise.

"And what would that be Mr. Belikov?" Hans asks. I flinch. Closing my eyes I take a deep breath.

"I love her and I was only trying to protect her." I finally say. _Wow. It feels so good to say it out loud_. Lissa smiles at me. _I wonder if Rose is with us? _

"No, no. That won't do." Hans dismisses the idea with the wave of a hand.

"Why not?" I ask.

"They'll never believe it. You two haven't exactly been on friendly terms lately." Hans stare burns through my eyes. _He's right. I've refused to see her. I've wanted nothing to do with her and specifically requested she not be allowed to visit me._

"I can't not do something." I say through a clenched jaw. _He's just like the rest of them, asking me to sit back and watch Rose take the fall._ "I owe it to her."

"Dimitri, you don't owe her anything." Tasha's words slam into me like a brick. _What does she know? Nothing!_

"You're wrong. I owe her everything. My life, my second chance. Everything." Running my hand through my hair I continue, "I owe her so much. She gave up everything for me. She left school knowing what that meant, all for me. She never gave up on me. She never gave up hope. I will not sit on the sideline and watch them wrongly accuse her of a murder I know she did NOT commit!"

"Ah, yes. Russia. So glad you mentioned it. Everyone assumed she left school to go on a killing spree after the attack, seeking vengeance. But you say she left for you? Some romantic notion of hunting you down to kill you?" Hans face shows no emotion as he speaks. "Please tell us, what really happened in Russia?" My shoulders roll forward as my eyes close and my head falls forward, my chin resting on my chest. The last think I want to remember...Russia.

"Is this really necessary?" Lissa asks.

"It may help us formulate an angle for this tragic love story." Hans offers, though I suspect he's just after information.


	6. Chapter 6

"Dimitri, it's okay. You don't have to." Lissa words are comforting. _She told me that Rose confided in her. I'm glad she did, after what I did to her, Rose needed to talk about it_. I glance around the table, Christian and Tasha are on the edge of their chair, anxiety coursing through their body. Even Adrian looks attentive. I nod and take a deep breath. I start out slow...

"She came to Russia to find me." _It's funny, I went to Russia to get as far from her as possible. And she came to me. _I shake my head.

"Did she find you?" Hans asks.

"Yes, she found me." I take another deep breath.

"How?" Another guardian asks. _I look up, it's Mikhal. He never found Sonya, his lover. _A smirk briefly crosses my face. _Rose knows me so well. _

"Rose is the bravest woman I know. She's the most fierce warrior and she marches into danger head on." I sigh, shaking my head. "Stalking the streets of Novosibirsk, she made it known to all Strigoi that she was looking for me. The death count she racked up made her a prime target. When I heard she was in Russia, I found her."

"And then what?" Hans asks, his voice void of all emotion.

"She hesitated." I whisper through a strained voice. I close my eyes, erasing the memory of that moment when she first saw me across the street. _I wasn't sure what would happen when I saw her again. I didn't know what my reaction would be - or hers. __I've always wondered if she didn't hesitate if she would have been strong enough to kill me, and if I would've let her...__  
_

"You took mercy on her?" Christian broke the silence that filled room.

"No. I took her captive." I painfully say. _They say it helps to talk about your troubles. Hopefully this will help. The agony of the memories - the nightmares - is unbearable._

"Dimitri, it's okay. We don't judge you. You couldn't help it, you were Strigoi. It wasn't you." Lissa's soothing voice helps me to retain composure.

"Captive?" Adrian asks. I nod. "You fed from her." His words cut like glass. A deep sorrowful numbing pain that won't go away arises in my chest. I nod again. My hands begin to shake as I remember the things I did to her. _Her neck, so many bite marks. I'm glad she was able to get them healed. The worse part, knowing that we both took extreme pleasure in it. I from the blood and her from the endorphin's. All the intimate times we shared during her captivity was heaven. I told her she was the only one I took pleasure in during a feeding and it was true. Everyone else was just food, quick and meaningless. But her. She was so much more. It was just me and her, our emotions unleashed. We had no other concerns. The passionate kisses, the pleasure I brought her. I remember every inch of her body, I thoroughly explored it on several occasions with my hands, mouth, and tongue. Her warm touch against my cold skin. She always begged for more, but I never gave in. I used sex as a carrot dangling in front of her, to entice her to join me...pathetic. _

"Why not kill her or turn her?" Hans asks pulling me out of my painfully erotic memories. This time I see a look of curiosity on his face.

"I wanted her turned. But I wanted it to be her choice. I resented the fact that I didn't have a choice." I say shrugging. _  
_

"And she wouldn't turn so you let her go." Tasha smugly says. I slowly shake my head. _If only I was that strong. _

"No." Another smirk reaches my lips as I remember how many times my Roza surprised me that night. "She's incredible. The things she can accomplish against all odds." I close my eyes and keep them close as I speak, "She staked me with a wooden stake to get out of the room I kept her in. Somehow trapped another Strigoi behind a bolted door, retained her charmed stake and would have succeeded in getting out of the house, but she chose a poor exit. The fury I felt from her rejection fueled my need for her. I killed the other Strigoi in the house while she escaped. Then I set out to hunt her. I needed her. At that point, I was going to turn her with or without her permission." I look up to see everyone staring at me, waiting to hear the grand finale.

"We fought several times that night, but in the end she surprising me yet again." I say lowering my head. _I always wonder what she would have done if I said the words she was so eager to hear. If I told her I loved her, would she have chosen eternity with me? _I shake my head. _If I would have realized what she needed to hear, I know I would have said it, used those words against her, even if I didn't mean them how she would've thought. Strigoi don't feel love. They remember love, but they don't feel it. My former love for her fueled my desire, but in the end, she was merely a possession that I needed._

"What do you mean? What happened?" Tasha asks a little too anxiously. I take another deep breath.

"We were fighting on a bridge. She jumped over the ledge and I saved her." Taking another deep breath I continue. "She staked me...and I fell."

"Impossible! You're alive and you were still very much Strigoi in that warehouse." Christian says.

"It wasn't deep enough. The stake fell out during my fall." I say. "I mailed it back to her as a gift." _The memories of all the love letters I wrote her fill my mind. I wrote one a week until she graduated. I wrote about everything we ever did together, both before and after my turn. Every detail of our intimate escapades, relaying my thoughts and feelings during each moment. I loved her and in a way I still did, the only way a Strigoi could love. Though, __knowing what she needed and wanted to hear, I made sure to profess my love in every single letter._

"And?" Tasks impatiently asks.

"She was mine. I'd move mountains for her. No other Strigoi was going to lay a finger on her." I say, slightly shrugging.

"So you came back to the US to stalk her." Adrian's eyes were dark and menacing.

"No. I came to kill her." I say. _It would have been a mercy killing I told myself. She was on top of the Strigoi most wanted hit list. Everyone was out for blood, they would have tortured her. I would have made it quick and pleasurable for her. _I quickly brush away a tear that almost escaped my eye.

"Yes you made that evident in Vegas." Adrian's words cut me again. _I'll never be able to make up all the pain and suffering I've put her through_.

"Why did you attacked Lissa and Christian?" Tasha asks. "Did you specifically target them to get to her?" I nod.

"Lissa was bait." I say in a hushed tone. _Lissa already knew this, but I caught a slight frown cross her features._

"All those guardians were killed because of a twisted love affair between a strigoi and dhampir..." I hear a guardian mutter in the back. My chin falls to my chest in defeat.

"I've heard enough. This won't do. It'll only fuel the fire and make things worse." Hans stands abruptly. "You," he says pointing to me, "Go back to your room. I don't want you out and about today. And don't do anything stupid. It's bad enough I may loose one good Guardian, I don't need to loose two." And that was that. I was being escorted back to my room.

Adrian crossed paths with me as he was leaving. "Sweet dreams Belikov." The way he said it gave me an eerie feeling.

Lissa, Christian, and Tasha walked with me back to my room in silence.

"Dimka, just remember at the hearing tomorrow don't do anything foolish. There is more to this world than you and Rose. And there is more to your life than her too." Tasha said.

"Thanks for your support today." I say to everyone. Lissa pulls me into a tight embrace, she must see defeat in my eyes.

* * *

A/N - Hey everyone, I just wanted to say thanks for all you're comments! The continued support and encouragement is very motivational! Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!


	7. Chapter 7

Pacing around my room I weigh all options. On one hand, if I stand up for Rose, tell our secret to the Court, give her the alibi she most desperately needs - I'll more than likely be reserving the jail cell next to her. On the other hand, if I don't give her the alibi, she will most likely go to trial, be convicted and executed. It would be easier for me to help her if I'm not also in jail. I could conduct my own investigation, find the real murderer. But not standing by her side when she needs me the most, I shudder at the thought.

I love her, she loves me. We should face this together, united as one. Ah! I would gladly take her place, plea guilty to the murder if I thought it would actually set her free. But I have a feeling whatever hard evidence they have on her was planted. Therefore she was framed. And if she was framed then it won't be easy to clear her name. I finally sit down and close my eyes, trying to regain control of my torn emotions.

I must have dozed off because the dream before me is heaven and hell. I'm standing in the cabin, our cabin in the woods, back at St. Vladimir's Academy. There's a fire lit, the flames dance around the room giving off a warm yet gentle golden hue. My chest tightens at the memory of the night we shared together here. Something that may never happen again, I shudder at the thought.

Then I see her, my Roza, standing in front of the fire in that dress. God I love that dress. My memories are playing tricks on me, teasing my senses. I can't help but gawk at how beautiful she is.

"What's the matter Comrade?" She says taking a step toward me. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Oh wait! Did you think this was a dream?" I tense up, making no movement toward her.

"Of course this is a dream." My voice falls flat.

"Yes and no. It is a dream, but it's also real." I cock an eyebrow at her, knowing how much she likes it when I do that. "Adrian connected us through a spirit dream." She says. Realization hits me and my lips tug into a smile.

"You mean...this is really you?" I ask taking a step forward. She nods. Closing the distance between us I study her face and twirl a loose strain of her hair around my finger. She smiles.

"So, how long do we have?" I ask. She shrugs.

"I'm not sure, until one of us wakes up, or Adrian is disturbed." She says. I immediately pull her into an embrace.

"What's with the cabin?" I ask.

"I wanted somewhere special." She whispers.

"And the dress?" I question with another raised eyebrow.

"I thought you liked it?" She says almost too innocently.

"Oh Rose," I shake my head and stifle a small laugh.

"Don't you? The last time I wore it you didn't waste any time taking it off, but..." I stop her with a kiss. The last time she wore it was the night of the lust charm. The night we gave into our hidden desires.

"Yes Rose. I do like it, in fact I love it." I say against her lips. The day she bought it she had asked, 'Am I going to endanger my reputation if I wear it to the dance?' In reply I told her, 'You'll endanger the school.' A smile crosses my face remembering that perfect moment in time. We were in the van on our way back from her first field experience. Everyone was sleeping, including Rose, her head resting on my shoulder. I studied every inch of her face while she slept. She looked exquisite, like a beautiful goddess walking the earth.

"I was with you today." She says, bringing me out of my memory.

"I hoped you would be." I rest my forehead against hers.

"They're right you know. It won't help, if anything it'll only make matters worse." She whispers.

"Rose, what I choose to do doesn't involve anyone else. I love you and I want to protect you." I reach up and stroke her cheek, she leans her head into my palm. Electricity courses through our touch.

"I know. But I can take care of myself. You've taught me how to work as a team, but sometimes I work better alone." She says. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid or foolish tomorrow." My lips meet hers as a frenzy of mixed emotions torment me.

"Dimitri," she says pulling away from me, "I know it's a dream, but would you think it too kinky if we…you know…it may be our last time alone together."

"Too kinky?" I smirk. "Rose there isn't anything that I wouldn't do with you." Her eyes widen and her lips turn up into a mischievous grin.

"Is Adrian here? How does the whole dream thing work?" I ask.

"Honestly I don't know. But if he is here, hopefully he'll turn his back." She says closing the distance between our lips. "And cover his ears." She murmurs.

A growl escapes me. I give in and let my guard down. Any inkling of control has disappeared. I touch her arms so lightly, I know it sends chills coursing through her body, I feel her shiver. A smile crosses my face.

"Dimitri," she whispers in my ear as she graces my lobe with her teeth. I trail kisses down her jaw line.

"I want you. Take me…" she pleas. My lips find hers, my hands find her thighs and I pick her up. She responds by wrapping her legs around my waist.

I pull her closer to my bare chest. I realize she dressed me in only pajama bottoms, much like the night of the lust charm. She teases me with her tongue, gently tracing my lips and then nibbling my lower lip.

"Oh Roza…" I moan as my breath quickens.

"Take me," she whines. I carry her to the bed and gently lay her down.

* * *

A/N - What do you think Adrian's reaction will be? Is he watching? Will he allow a lemon next chapter?


	8. Chapter 8

**Rose POV**

I play with his waistband as he lays me down, causing a devilish grin to spread across his face. _Damn. He looks so sexy with his guard down. _

"Patience, Roza. Patience." His breath on my neck sends chills coursing through my entire body.

He trails kisses along my jaw line, down my neck, onto my shoulder. Reaching down he grabs the hem of my dress and pulls it up and over my head. I can't help but squeal in delight. He immediately begins caressing and kissing my breasts, causing me to tilt my chin up and gasp at the intense feeling of pleasure.

He delicately flicks my harden nipples with the tip of his tongue, teasing me before gently nibbling on them with his teeth. I feel his grin as I moan out in pleasure. It drives me wild, I'm throbbing for him inside me. My body squirms with each touch. _God, this feels so real! _

Leaving my breasts, he moves his tongue down my stomach leaving kisses in its wake. His fingertips stroke my inner thighs as his kisses linger at my hips. A burning sensation fills me with a feral rage of passion. I grab his head and tug his hair. A sound of pure ecstasy escapes him. His kisses take him further down, until he's flicking my swollen and throbbing lady with his warm and moist tongue. My hips uncontrollably rise up, pushing against his mouth. He nibbles and latches on, sucking. His hands migrate to my hips, holding me, yet still allowing me to move in rhythm of my wanting.

"Dimitri!" I feel his smirk against me. I explode into a million tiny pieces. He continues to gently stroke me, I respond to his touch and involuntary shudders course through me for several minutes. _For a brief moment my thoughts drift to my body back in the jail cell, do I talk in my sleep? Oh well, if so the guards are in for a show! _

Dimitri surfaces from my nether regions, kissing my belly, cleavage and up my neck. Rising slightly above me, I feel his wanting against my thigh.

"Dimitri, I want..." I whine.

"Shhh…" he whispers, successfully shutting me up with his tongue. His thumbs are rubbing my nipples, I claw into his back. "Please," I whine.

"No Rose." He says between kisses, redirecting his attention from my lips to my neck.

"Why not?" He freezes and looks down at me.

"I…" His voice trails off, "This isn't going to be our last time together. But if it is, I want to give you pleasure in every way possible." He says with a sorrowful look. "I love you so much."

I run my hands through his hair as I attack him with my lips. His right hand traces the side of my body, creating chills of excitement coursing through my body again. His gentle touch moves down to my throbbing lady, massaging me with his middle finger. Testing the water, he sticks his finger inside me, to find a warm and moist receiving area. I moan and push in to him.

"You already give me so much pleasure. I love you too." I mutter in a husky tone. He responds by inserting his index finger as well. Moving both fingers at a gingerly pace and rubbing my lady with his thumb, my hips automatically start to playfully dance to his rhythm. I grab his hair and tug a handful while whimpering.

His lips move down to my nipples gently teasing me with his tongue. Feeling yet another burning desire growing inside me, I moan out in pure delight. As soon as I subside, he removes his fingers from inside me and replaces them with his tongue. Moving his hands to my breasts, he pulls at my rock hard nipples. _My head is foggy, I'm in a pure daze. The emotions this man, my man, can evoke from deep inside me is relentless. _

I go crazy at the feeling of his warm tongue in me. Spreading my legs further and pulling my feet up as close to my rear as possible, I can't describe the sensations building deep inside.

"I want you!" I groan. Grabbing his waistband I tug at his pants. Finally giving into my desire, he pulls off his pajama pants, his tongue never leaving me. I squirm and pulse underneath his touch, close to yet another orgasm. He quickly thrusts inside me sending me over the top.

"AHHhh…" I cry out. The intensity of the pleasure overshadows everything else and I quiver in uncontrollable fits of passion. After calming down he begins to rock in a slow, gentle motion. Wrapping my legs around his waist, he enters deeper giving me more intense pleasure.

"Oh Roza…" he whispers in my ear. _His voice is thick and laced with his sexy accent. _

"Deeper," I plea. _In reality, this very well may be our last intimate moment together and I want all of him. Every last inch of the man I love. _

Kissing my neck he complies with my request. Rolling over onto his back, never letting me go, he sits up and holds me on top. Standing up he carries me across the room, bracing my back against the wall. Holding onto my thighs, he begins thrusting up, deeper and deeper into me. I feel the heated sensation burning inside again and I begin to rock back and forth in a frenzy-like motion.

"Harder," I grip his shoulders, digging in my nails. He grunts and nips at my neck leaving love bites down in his wake.

Pulling me away from the wall, walking back to the bed he lays me on the edge allowing my legs to hang off. I instinctively pull my knees up to my chest and he's able to penetrate me even further. We both moan in pure delight. _My eyes roll up in my head, this is heaven. Then I think of Adrian, oh, I truly hope he can't see or hear us. We're not being all that quiet..._

Opening my eyes, I'm captivated by what I see. _His stoic guardian mask is completely gone. The look shining through and penetrating his eyes is one of pure happiness, contentment, love, and admiration. And all for me, I think my heart is going to explode._ He reaches down to play with my hair and I cup his face.

"Dimitri," I say, my voice unsure of itself. "I love you so much...sometimes it hurts." _I smile at the memory of when he told me something similar. _

"Roza before I met you, I didn't know love. You've given me so much...so much to live for. I don't deserve you. I want to always be here for you no matter what. I want to take care of you as long as you'll let me."

"Forever and always?" I question. A boyish grin crosses his lips.

"Yes, forever and always." He says against my lips, giving me the sweetest and gentlest kiss that sends butterflies to my belly. I feel him growing again inside me and I wiggle my hips playfully. A low growl escapes him. _I'm beginning to love his growl. _

Quickly flipping me over he holds onto my hips as I rise onto my hands and knees, he leans onto my back, wrapping his arms around me – fiddling with my breasts and massaging my lady as he thrusts in hard and deep. I pull away from his grasp, lowering my head and shoulder to rest on the bed. He whimpers in protest, but I arch my back and he forcefully rams into me releasing another sound of pure bliss.

Tracing my spine with his fingers, goose bumps spread down my back. Grabbing a firm hold onto my hips he plunges into me harder and faster, always trying to get further and further buried inside me. I gasp and collapse with uncontrollable convulsions extending throughout my body. He collapses on top of me soon after, also trembling with the same fits of passion. Gently kissing my neck and caressing my back, I feel him growing once again inside me. _It is a dream after all. _I smile at my dirty thoughts.

He swings around, never detaching us, and sits me up straight, facing away from him. I lean forward and begin to bounce.

"OH Dimitri!" The angle and depth this position provides is more intense than I can handle.

"Ah!" I squeal. He grabs me before I collapse again in sheer delight. Twisting me around, never breaking our connection, I collapse on top of him as he showers me with kisses.

Rolling me over on my back once again, he slowly and gently makes love to me one last time – sending us both into a fairy tale ending.

"Rosemarie Hathaway, you're amazing." He murmurs against my skin. I giggle, finally feeling complete. "Did I say something to amuse you?" He questions with a playful grin.

"No," I breathe, "It's just…I finally found the missing piece to my heart." His smile reaches his eyes as his mouth finds mine. We lay cuddling, holding each other relishing in the closeness.

"I love you." I whisper as I begin to get a tingly sensation, everything begins to get fuzzy and I lose focus. Quickly turning to him I say, "Comrade, don't do anything stupid."

**Dimitri POV**

"I love you." I say reaching out into the air, desperately grabbing at Rose as she fades away.

"ROSE!" I frantically yell. I hang my head in defeat once she's gone. Opening my eyes I see a lone figure sitting on a deserted beach.

"Adrian?"


	9. Chapter 9

"Adrian, I..."

"Save it Belikov." He cuts me off with the wave of his hand. "This isn't about you, it's about Rose."

"Where is she? What happened?" I ask walking toward him.

"She must've woken up." He shrugs. "So, did she succeed?"

"With what?" I eye him curiously.

"I visited her, well, in her dream, they won't let anyone in to physically see her." I nod. "I went to talk to her and see how she was and all she wanted to do was talk about you. Then she got this crazy idea and begged me to try and connect you two."

"Why'd you do it?" I sit next to him on the beach, curious at his motives.

"I wanted to see if I could." He looks at me with a seriousness I've never seen him have before. "And, I'd do anything for Rose." I nod.

"Thank you." I whisper.

"For what?" The bitterness rolls off his tongue.

"Everything. Thank you for being there for Rose when she needed comfort. Thank you for all that you've done to help her over the past few months. Thank you for..." I pause, unsure how to continue.

"Stop, just stop right there. I know how you two feel about each other, I've always known since the first time I saw you together at the Ski Lodge." My brow furrows in question.

"Your aura's light up when you're together. They're like a beacon calling each other home. I've always known her feelings, what I haven't been sure about is yours." He studies my face before continuing.

"Your aura says one thing, but your words and actions are confusing, sometimes they're at odds with one another. I know you love her, even though you try not to. You push her away every chance you get. Why do you treat her so harshly, why do you hurt her with words? Why fight your feelings?" He takes a deep breath before continuing.

"I guess I shouldn't complain. I wouldn't have had a chance otherwise, but..."

"Adrian I'm so sorry." I turn my gaze downward to my hands. I can't look him in the eye right now.

"I don't want your pity." He snaps. "I'm not surprised. Hurt and jealous, yes, but not surprised." I nod, quickly dispersing any feelings of shame or guilt that were starting to form.

"So, I'll ask again. Did she succeed?" Adrian's face is showing no sign of emotion.

"Succeed in what exactly?" I cock an eyebrow.

"She pleaded with me to see you, because she said she needed to talk some sense into you. To make sure you wouldn't do anything rash or stupid." I nod, a small smirk playing at my lips.

"Oh. No, she didn't succeed." Adrian's eyes light up.

"What do you mean? She was so determined. How did you win that battle?" He asks clearly amused.

"We didn't talk about it much." I casually say.

"Then what did you do?" He asks. I look at him assessing if it was a rhetorical question. Closing his eyes, he covers his face with his hands and starts to laugh, a full belly laugh. "Never mind Belikov, based on your face and the light show I saw earlier, I have a pretty good idea, no details needed you kinky bastard."

"Light show?" I ignore his remark.

"Oh yeah, light from your auras were intensified. It was a weird sensation having Rose dream walk through me. I couldn't hear or see anything, but I could feel. Not direct emotions, just in general. They were whirling around like a hurricane." Looking at me he smiles. "It's hard to explain." He quickly adds. I nod.

"You...she...she relaxes around you. You take away her darkness, it just fades away when you're together." Adrian whispers with a tone of sadness.

"What are you going to do?" He asks.

"I...I don't know." _I honestly haven't decided the best course of action._

"When they ask if someone can verify her whereabouts, she will never name you." His words hurt, but I know they're true. "If she says she was alone, there is no way she can recover from that. Even if you debunk her statement and say you were with her, she would have lied on the stand, under oath, committed perjury." _I hadn't thought of that. Damn. My time is running out._

"Adrian?" I test my voice.

"Hmm?" He looks at me questioningly.

"What would you do?" My voice is low, barely audible.

"Belikov, the infamous and legendary guardian, are you asking me for advice?" I hear the amusement in his tone.

"No, not exactly. Not advice." I quickly reply. I rephrase my question. "If the tables were turned and you were in my seat, what would you do?"

"That's a no brainer." I look at him expectantly. "I love her and I'd do anything in my power to protect her." My head falls.

"Belikov, what are you really asking?" Adrian's voice cuts through the silence that wrapped around us.

"I want nothing more than to protect her. But, in all honesty, giving her the alibi won't really protect her. If anything it'll hurt her by damaging her reputation even more." I begin to shake my head as I look down at my feet. "It pains me to not step up to defend her."

"She'd do it for you in a heartbeat. She wouldn't think twice about it." I wince at the words, knowing they're true. She's gone through hell and back, all for me. No second though as to the consequences.

"Are you afraid of tarnishing your reputation?" Adrian scolds.

"No!" I snap.

"Then what's really holding you back?" He asks.

"How can I save her if I'm in jail with her?" With that a smirk played across Adrian's face.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. I'm pretty sure Abe has it covered." My eyes throw daggers in him.

"What do you mean 'Abe has it covered'?" My voice low and menacing, full of rage.

"Abe was the first person I called, well, after Janine of course." His voice faltered a bit.

"Abe, as in Ibrahim Mazur?" The name rolls off my tongue full of disgust.

"Yes." He replies, less sure of himself. The anger in my eyes suddenly amuses Adrian. "You don't know do you? Rose hasn't told you?" Adrian's slightly chuckling, still unsure of my mood.

"In Russia, she told me someone hired him to find her. That he found her in Baia." All my anger snaps and I lose control as Adrian's chuckles turn into loud, echoing stomach tensing laughs.

"WHAT IS SO DAMN FUNNY?" The venom and fury seeping into my words. Adrian jumps at the change in my mood. Searching my face he furrows his brows and then dismisses his thought.

"Well, upon her return from Russia...she, um, met her father." Adrian's voice low and shaky. My eyes pierce through his, no words needed, I understood.

"Abe." He nods. He's still watching me with a curious express, waiting for my next outburst. Instead my lips curl into a grin.

"Of course he is! That explains so much." Now I am uncontrollably laughing, gasping for air. Adrian joins in, clearly relieved at my response.

"I get it now." Adrian says, breaking the silence after we finally calm down. I glance at him with my trademark look Rose loves so much.

"The connection you two have. You're the same, you just have better self control. But I see it now, you fight to remain in control, to keep your emotions in check. You strive to be the perfect, responsible, and respectable guardian." No words needed, my eyes answer his question.

"Honestly Dimitri," _Whoa, did he just call me Dimitri? That's when I realize we're bonding. My lovers ex/boyfriend, I don't know, have they officially broken up yet? When did my life get so complicated and spiral out of control? Oh yeah, the day I met Rosemarie Hathaway._ My lips curl up into a smile thinking about her and... _this is awkward, having a heart-to-heart with Adrian after..._

"Are you listening to me?" he snaps his fingers in front of my face.

"Yes."

"Good. As I was saying, you just need to let loose. Lose control in the court room. Show your other side, the side you keep bottled up." I eye him warily.

"How will that help Rose?"

"Well, it won't directly help her." He smirks. "But indirectly it'll give a good show. You know the Royals and how they love juicy gossip. And well, if we play it right, it would go far beyond juicy."

"We?" His eyes light up. I've never seen a smile so dark or dangerous cross Adrian Ivashkov's lips.

"So, what do you say Belikov?" He asks. _I guess our male bonding time is over._

"Fuck it."


	10. Chapter 10

I wake to a loud banging noise. Sluggishly I sit up and scan my surroundings. The beach is gone, I'm back in my room. Two guards bust down my door, that's when I realize the banging was coming from my door. They awkwardly stare at me.

"Dimitri?" A small voice says walking through the doorway.

"Lissa, what's wrong?" I furrow my brows walking across the room to her.

"You…" Anxiously glancing around the room she continues, "You didn't answer. I've been knocking for a few minutes."

"Oh. I was sleeping, I guess I didn't hear." I sheepishly say. Everyone looks at me with puzzlement plastered on their face.

"I never pegged you as a sound sleeper." Christian says walking to stand next to Lissa.

"I was dreaming." A boyish grin crosses my face. The guardians and Lissa wearily look around the room again, finally resting their eyes on me. Christian's eyes never left mine, he smirks knowingly.

"Lissa he's here, he's okay. He hasn't done anything foolish…" Christian says. "Yet." He adds under his breath, almost inaudible but I heard. And a smirk creeps to my face.

"Okay. Well, we'll wait for you to get ready. It's almost time for the hearing." Lissa finally says satisfied that I'm okay. I nod.

Walking into the court room I see the largest crowd I've ever seen for a hearing. I follow Lissa and Christen walking to Adrian who's sitting in the third row. Our eyes meet and a smirk grazes his lips. I give my usual emotionless nod.

"Dimka, you don't look well." I hear a smooth voice to my right. "Are you okay?" Tasks asks sitting next to me.

"Fine." I give her a wry look.

"He didn't sleep well Aunt Tasha." Christian says, suppressing a grin.

"Oh. Up all night worrying?" Tasha bats her eye lashes almost as if it were her I was worrying about.

"You were sleeping like a rock. We couldn't wake you up!" Confusion playing on Lissa's face. Adrian loses his composure and lets out a laugh that catches the attention of other Moroi sitting in front and behind us. I give him my best guardian glare.

The side door opens and a hush falls on the crowd as Rose is escorted to her seat. I see her stare straight ahead not making eye contact with anyone. _I need to see her, see her face. I need to look into her eyes to make sure she's okay_.

We all stand as the next door opens. The judge, a Moroi woman walks in, followed by the council members.

"Please be seated." She says with an authoritative tone. As we sit I try to catch Rose's attention. She's looking anywhere but at me. I notice she doesn't have a lawyer, my chest tenses. If it were a Moroi they would have appointed her a community lawyer, but she's just a Dhampir. I clench my fists and let out a deep breath.

"It'll be over soon." Tasha says, gently rubbing the back of my hand. I ignore her comment and gesture.

"Miss Hathaway do you have a lawyer?" The judge asks.

"Umm…I…umm guess not." Rose says quickly looking around the room. In that brief moment I see nervousness cross her face. It happened so fast I'm sure no one else caught it, but I know it's there. _I mentally curse myself, of course she's nervous, she's probably scarred shitless! Damn, she's getting very good at hiding her emotions._

"Well then, let's get started. Ms. Kane you're up." The judge says motioning to the prosecuting lawyer.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the council, I will be showing you some very graphic pictures. I apologize in advance, they are very disturbing and normally I wouldn't show them – but I want everyone to see the crime this young dhampir committed."

"Allegedly committed!" A loud, confident voice projects across the courtroom.

"Ibrahim Mazur." I hear murmurs buzzing like wildfire.

"Order in the court room!" The judge demands. Abe walks down to sit next to Rose, I sigh and shake my head in disbelief. _This man knows how to make an entrance. _

"See Dimitri, Rose will be okay. Abe won't let anything happen to her." Lissa whispers next to me. I quickly glance to Adrian, he nods and my lips turn up into a mischievous grin.

"Mr. Mazur what do you think you're doing in my court room?" The judge asks.

"Paula," he starts.

"Formal titles Mr. Mazur or I will have you escorted out." The judge threatens.

"Your Honor," Abe coolly says, "I am her lawyer."

"Is this true Miss Hathaway?" The judge asks.

"Yup, I guess it is." Rose says, suspiciously looking to Abe.

"Continue." The judge says to Ms. Kane. The prosecution presents the graphic details of the murder scene and provides all the bloody pictures for the court to see. I hear crying throughout the room. _They're playing on pure emotions. There is no evidence it was Rose. And Rose never would have been so sloppy! Whoever did this made a mess, obviously they were not a skilled fighter. _

"And in conclusion, we would like to ask Miss Hathaway a few questions." The judge nods as Rose makes her way to the stand.

"Miss Hathaway do you know what this is?" The prosecutor waves something in front of Rose.

"Yes." Rose wearily answers.

"And what is it?" She asks, holds up the object for the courtroom to see.

"A stake." Rose carefully answers.

"And how does someone get a hold of a stake?"

"Guardians are issued one upon graduation." Rose says, keeping constant eye contact with Abe.

"Is this your stake?" The prosecution asks handing it to Rose. She carefully grips it and balances it in her hand, feeling the weight and curves. Examining any marks, I see a slight twitch.

"This is not the stake I was issued upon graduation." Rose finally says. The prosecution whips around, glaring at Rose. Apparently this is not the answer she was anticipating.

"Are you certain Miss Hathaway? Remember you're under oath." She says.

"Your Honor, if she says it isn't the one issued to her, then it is not the one issued to her." Abe casually says.

"How do you know it isn't?" The judge asks.

"The marking etched near the top. The one I was issued at graduation didn't have a pattern." She slyly says. The muscles in my chest constrict. _This is the hard evidence they have against her. The stake I mailed her from Russia._ My hands start to shake.

"Dimitri, it's okay. It's not hers." Lissa says rubbing my arm trying to calm me down. I sharply look at her, she winces. My eyes feel on fire, I've never felt so enraged. _How did they get a hold of that?_

"Miss Hathaway, where were you last night?" The prosecution asks, trying to recover from her prior failure.

"In my room." Rose quickly says.

"Can anyone verify that?" She asks. Rose starts to glance my way and stops.

"N…" Rose's voice catches in the air.

"I can." A voice says from the crowd. My voice. As I walk toward the center aisle I hear Lissa and Tasha whimper behind me. The rest of the court room gasps at my sudden outburst.

"Stat your name for the record please." The judge says.

"Dimitri Belikov." I say, my eyes never leaving Rose. We're locked in a trance, both our faces showing no sign of emotion.

"Mr. Belikov what time did you see Rose in her room last night?" The prosecution asks.

"I went to see her in her room after Church."

"And what time did you leave?"

"This morning. We left together for breakfast." I say without a faltering. I hear a few murmurs among the crowd.

"That is a very long time Mr. Belikov. Roughly 18-hours, is that right?"

"Yes." I coolly say as a playful grin tugs at the corners of my mouth. Rose's eyes widen as she see my guardian mask drop.

"And exactly what were you doing that took so long?"

"Reconnecting." My grin turns into a mischievous smirk.

"Miss Hathaway is this true?"

"Yes." Rose says eyeing me carefully.

"Can anyone verify your whereabouts Mr. Belikov?" The prosecution asks. I shrug.

"I can." I turn to a familiar voice. Adrian is standing up glaring at me.

"Mr. Ivashkov please share with the court room how you can verify Mr. Belikov's whereabouts but not Miss Hathaway's." The judge pointedly says.

"I saw his babysitter's stationed outside her room last night when I went to visit my girlfriend." Adrian coolly says.

"But you didn't actually see him?" The prosecution asks.

"I didn't have to SEE him. I HEARD her." Adrian's voice is laced with disgust. Whispers travel through the court room.

"But you didn't actually SEE him, so it could have been someone else?" _Where is the prosecution going with this? Even if it wasn't me, someone was with Rose, which means she is innocent, I think to myself._

"Your Honor, it was Mr. Belikov." I turn around and to my surprise I see the guardians assigned to me walking down the aisle. A slight nod passes between us.

"He was there the entire time? All 18 or so hours?" The judge asks the guardians.

"Yes." They answer in unison.

"If you were stationed outside her room, how are you certain one of them didn't leave through a different exit?" The prosecution asks.

"We could hear them as well, your Honor." One guard says.

"Ms. Hathaway, exactly what were you doing that was so loud?" The judge asks.

"Umm…" I see her blush, then catching my eye she says, "It's been a while since we've been alone. We were, you know, catching up."

"He was your mentor, right?" The prosecution asks. Rose nods.

"So, where you fighting?" She carefully asks.

"GOD DAMN IT! HOW DENSE ARE YOU? THEY WERE FUCKING!" Adrian yells. Rose's eyes dart to me, horror masked behind her eyelids. I plaster a devilish grin on my face. Her fear melts away and she returns my playfulness. I hear sharp intakes of breath, murmurs, and gasps from the crowd. _OH, this will be fun._


	11. Chapter 11

"Order in my court room!" The judge yells trying to regain control. "Order in my court room!"

"Miss Hathaway, what do you have to say for yourself?" The judge asks after the room quiets down.

"I'm sorry for being so loud?" Rose says in true Rosemarie Hathaway style. "We didn't get a noise complaint so I had no idea." Her expression shines with pure innocence. Muffled laughter and murmurs of shock course through the room.

"Mr. Belikov what do you have to say?" The judge says turning to me.

"I aim to please." I casually shrug with a smug look on my face, my eyes never leaving Rose's. "We'll try and be quieter next time." Rose's face lights up with amusement.

"He's bluffing!" A strong female voice calls from behind me. I recognize that voice, Tasha. My eyes harden, but they don't leave Rose. "Guardian, or, Mr. Belikov is a very dedicated man. He's honorable and respectable. He would NEVER get involved with a student, nonetheless someone he is mentoring. AND he would never risk his hard earned reputation by getting mixed up with an underage girl and the academy's problem child." She said with a smug look on her face. _She did make a valid point and anyone who knew me would believe her._ My jaw tightens as the room erupts into chaos. I hear whispers spreading like wild fire,

"It's true…a dhampir and dhampir…scandalous…he's just protecting her…lies, all lies…would never" My knuckles turn white by the pressure I'm putting on my balled fists. Rose and I don't break our eye contact the entire time. _We know each other so well, we know what we want, what we need to do._

I run to her as she stands to meet me. Our embrace is full of heat and passion. Pure animal rage coursing through my fingertips as I ravage her body. Just like the stolen kiss in the gym back at St. Vladimir's, the time she first figured me out - my constant battle to stay in control. She was right, I do battle daily to stay in control and today I don't want to, I want to lose control.

My lips are fierce on hers, showing no mercy. She melts into my touch as my lips leave her mouth and move across her jaw line. Her skin is soft and warm against my lips. I steal a lick near her ear, grazing my teeth on her lobe. She raises her chin, exposing her throat for me to nip and leave love bites down her neck. A moan escapes her driving me wild with desire. I faintly hear the judge yelling and the gavel pounding. _I don't care. All I care about is my Roza._ I press harder against her, pushing her firmly against the edge of the table. I growl as her hands roam my head, pulling at my hair. My fingertips trail alongside her thighs earning me another beautiful moan. Grabbing under her rear, her legs instantly lift, tightening around my waist.

My hands hold her waist, thumbs inward and moving down. She sighs and thrusts her hips forward as my thumbs brush against her covered crotch, she yelps at the surprise. This earns her a growl that I know she loves so much. I push my hips into her, she unfastens her legs from around my waist and spreads them wider against the table. I moan and lean in to kiss her soft, sweet lips. Her tongue meeting my lips, licking them playfully before mine catches hers.

We're lightly flickering the tips of our tongues against eachother when my hands leave her hips and graze the sides of her body. Briefly stopping at her breasts my thumbs tease her nipples. I'm surprised to find they're already hard so I gently tweak them both, rubbing them between my thumb and index finger. She digs her nails into my shoulders, arching her back and pressing her hips into me further beginning to rock in a rhythm of her yearning.

"Oh Roza!" I moan between kisses, by this time my lips found hers again. She grabs my waistband, pulling me even closer. I lay her down slowly on the table, heat radiating off our bodies. I know what I want, she wants it too. The court room is in a panicked frenzy. I feel several sets of strong arms grab my shoulders and arms, at first I resist. Then Rose and I lock eyes and give one last kiss. We both surrender to the guards.

"ORDER IN MY COURT ROOM!" The judge yells a final time. As the room quiets down, I'm escorted to the opposite side of the room as Rose. I quickly glance to the third row – Lissa looks like she's in a state of shock, Christen is amused, Tasha's pissed, and Adrian winks.

"We will adjourn this proceeding until further notice." The judge says. I take a closer look at her and notice she's flushed and fanning herself. Internally I smirk. I look to Rose and she's laughing. _Apparently our little display of affection has caused more than a scene. _

Scanning the court room I see most Moroi women are fanning themselves looking quite agitated. Adrian catches my attention - he's shaking his head laughing. _No doubt he's picked up on the mood in the room too. _

"Take her back to her cell." The judge says with shortened breaths.

"And what about him?" The prosecution asks.

"I'll take care of him." I hear the one man I haven't taken notice of yet and I don't particularly want to. Abe. Rose's father. I take a deep breath and stand up taller. He turns to look at me, fire burning in his eyes. _No doubt he's protecting his daughter and I'm the biggest threat here_.

"No. Take him to a holding cell too."

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A/N - Thank you everyone for your amazing reviews! I love hearing what you think about the chapter (and what you think and hope will happen in the next chapter). Thanks again for your continued support!


	12. Chapter 12

I watch Rose as they escort her from the room. She turns quickly startling her guards, her face pained and showing signs of something else. _Jealousy?_ I follow her intense stare before her eyes flit to mine and the guards push her through the doorway. _Lissa._

"Your Honor, what charges do you hold against Mr. Belikov that he needs to be placed in a jail cell?" Lissa's voice rings through the almost emptied court room. Christian leans in to whisper in her ear, by the look of it she doesn't like what he said. Adrian and Abe are having a discussion and are oblivious to the discussion going on around them.

"Contempt of court! He made a mockery of my court room." The judge says showing signs of bewilderment.

"Okay. But is putting him in a jail cell really the answer?" Lissa firmly says, fixing her eyes on the judge. _What is she doing?_ Christian's forcefully yelling at her. _Stop her, please stop her._

"Fine. Princess Dragomir, since you take such an interest in Mr. Belikov, I will release him to you, under your charge. You will be held personally responsible and accountable for his actions. Should he go missing, you will be arrested and tried in his place. Do you agree to these terms?" The judge eyes her with wide knowing eyes. Lissa begins to answer but Christian cuts her off and they begin to argue again.

"Adrian!" My rough voice catches him surprise. It's loud enough for him and Abe to hear, in addition to any guards surrounding us, fortunately my outburst didn't seem to disturb anyone else. He turns to me with a creased brow line and a firm set jaw. A questioning look fleeting across his green eyes. He follows my gaze to Lissa and Christian, immediately realizing something's wrong.

"Your decision Princess Dragomir? I'm growing impatient." The Judge calls.

"What?" Adrian looks between the Judge and Lissa. Christian quickly fills him in. "NO!" He yells.

"It'll be fine." Lissa says, almost too calmly. My heart starts pounding in my chest as I watch my fate rest on the shoulders of Lissa. She means well and has her heart in the right place, but she's_ so innocent. I can not let her make this deal, her future will be ruined. Because I have no intention of sticking around._ Standing up taller, taking a few steps toward the judge I say,

"It's really a shame I won't be going to jail after all. Sharing a cell with my Roza would be heaven in itself." I flash my most confident and alluring grin, steadying my shaking hands and hiding my nervousness.

"ENOUGH! Take him away." She yells pounding the gavel. "And ensure he's far away from Rosemarie Hathaway." I hide my emotions as I turn back to look upon the faces of Lissa, Christian, and Adrian.

"Dimitri, no!" Lissa yells. Christian pulling her toward the exit. Adrian and I share the briefest moment in which he slightly nods.

Glancing to Abe he's studying me carefully, watching my every move. _I praise myself for all the hard work I've put into mastering the ability to hide my emotions, or as Rose calls it, my guardian mask. I've never officially met this man, though I know of his reputation and I don't like him. He's very dangerous, one of the most ruthless and cutthroat men alive. But seeing how he is the father of my Roza, I trust him and who knows I may end up liking him once we finally meet...someday._ The guards grab my arms and lead me out the door.

"Hey Beautiful," I quietly say as we walk into the cell holding room. Rose jumps to her feet, pressing her body against the bars, accentuating her curves.

"Whatcha in for Comrade?" She smirks teasingly, playing with her beautiful dark brown hair.

"Oh nothing too serious. I'm sure you have a few on your record already. Something about contempt of court..." I playfully reply. We both snicker. The guards begin to lead me down the opposite side of the room, far away from Rose.

"I know you would never allow us to share a cell. But could we at least be near each other?" I quietly ask.

"Coming from one Guardian to another. A fellow dhampir who's in love. Please." I see something flash across his face, _a memory maybe_, as Rose words hit him.

"Fine." He says with a firm tone, as if it were his idea all along. They hold open the cell door to the one adjacent to Rose. I quickly walk in and over to the side. Her arms already outreached, stretching through the bars.

"Thank you." We both say to the guards. I reach through the bars and take as much of her as I can, pulling her into my arms.

"We'll give you two some privacy." Mikhail says, ushering the other guards out. I look to him, showing my appreciation and gratitude through my eyes. He nods and exists as well.

"It's just the two of us, finally, and in the flesh. Our only obstacle now are these damn bars." Rose says, I hear the excitment and irritation in her voice.

"Bars won't stop me. Nothing will ever keep me from you. I love you so much Roza, you're my everything!" I lean in to kiss her with as much passion as I can muster between the bars. _I'll admit they are annoying._

"Oh Dimitri!" Rose sighs into my mouth. "But, what are you doing here? Don't get me wrong, I'm ecstatic to have this time with you, but I saw what Lissa was planning. To use compulsion on the judge."

"I told you. Nothing will ever keep me from you. Not even Lissa." I say grazing her plump and luscious lips with my tongue.

"Hmm...I like that." Rose sassily moans.

"What, this?" I ask while lightly nipping at her bottom lip with my teeth. She moans again.

"No, er, well, yes I do like that. But, it's not what I was referring to." She says with a shortened breath.

"Then what are you referring to?" I whisper in her ear as I graze her soft skin with my nose and then my tongue.

"You're like my knight in shinning armor, coming to spend the last days by my side." She whimpers as I caress her breasts and kiss her neck. "And I don't even believe in fairy tales." I pull away from her, holding her at arms length to look her in the eye.

"How can you not believe in fairy tales? You believed in bringing me back. You believed in our love. Is that not enough of a fairy tale for you?" I ask, almost feeling like her mentor again._ I chide myself for that thought._

"Why did you do it?" Rose's question catches me off guard.

"Do what?" I close the distance that came between us. She lays her head against the bars, I pretent it's against my chest.

"You let your guard down today, in front of all those people, Moroi, both common and Royals, Dhampirs, and fellow Guardians. You gave in and lost control." She murmurs into my chest. I'm holding her in a tight embrace, my cheek resting on top of her head.

"Oh Rose, my Roza, I did it for you. All for you. I've pushed you away, tried to forget you, and I've lost you too many times. I just got you back and I wasn't about to let you slip through my fingers again. I'm tired of holding back, you can't help who you fall in love with and I'm very much in love with you." She squeezes me tighter and I do the same.

"So, this is going to sound a little awkward, but" Rose trails off. I pull my head back to look into her beautiful big brown eyes, I cock an eyebrow the way she likes it. "Lissa is envious and jealous. I felt it through the bond after our, hmm, display." I tilt my head down low, resting my forehead on hers.

"I'm sorry if I embarrassed you." I whisper, my voice low and shaky. "I didn't think your body would respond like that in front of all those people. I...I just meant to kiss you, to show everyone our feelings. To make them understand our love."

"Oh Comrade. No need to worry, at least this time when rumors are spread, they'll be true." She says flashing a devilish grin. "You know who else was bothered by it? The Judge. She was sweating and did you see her fanning herself?" I smile and she laughs.

"Yes, I noticed several of the Moroi women affected by our display as well."

"You're not getting cocky on me, are you Comrade?" She moves her hands down to grab my hips, I growl.

"No. I think their entire outlook on love is different from ours."

"Is this another Zen Life Lesson?" We both smile.

"No, it's just...they stay safe, protected in their own little bubble with no worries in the world on if they'll die today. When they're apart from their other half, they don't have the constant thought of if you'll see each other again. They don't know the agony of having to protect someone else over your soul mate." I take a deep breath and continue.

"Guardians know all these things. I know every time you or I would step foot outside the wards of protection there is a chance one of us may not make it back. For so long I closed my heart, keeping it shut off to the world because I didn't want to have the distraction. But when I met you...I found the key to my heart. It was you." I hesitate before continuing, but she stays silent.

"Ever since I became a Dhampir again, I've had a differnt outlook on life. I view things differently. Everything you know can change in an instant. I give you my whole heart. I want to give us everything I have. We've had too many lost kisses and missed moments. I want no more regrets. I want to live life with you everyday as if it were our last."

"Oh my sexy Russian God, whisper sweet nothings in my ear and talk dirty to me!" Rose growls, pulling me in for a kiss as her hands unzip my pants. "It very well may be our last, let's make it count."


	13. Chapter 13

"Oh Roza!" I moan as she sprawls her hands onto my bare chest. We didn't waste any time getting my shirt off. "This is not our end. It may be the last chapter of this life, but we will write a new book together in our next life." I whisper into her ear.

"You're very good at sweet nothings, Comrade." She smirks as she kisses my lips. "How are you at the dirty talk?" Pulling away from her I eye her carefully.

"I'll admit, not very good. Something we'll have to work on if it's what you like." _I don't like disappointing Rose. I'm her Alpha, the best of the best. When I can't do something for her I feel like I've let her down. _

"That's okay, I like your sweet nothings." She smiles a mischievous grin as she slides her hand down my pants. "We can work on the dirty talk together." I tremble as she gently caresses me. Looking at her she's amused. She knows exactly what she's doing to me. I growl.

"Down boy, down." She chides me and I grin. "Now this is what's going to happen. I'm going to suck you so hard and take you deeper than you've ever been." My eyes widen at the sultry sound of her voice. "And then you're going to fuck me hard and fast from behind." I look down at the bars separating us and cock an eye brow.

"Like this Comrade." She says, turning around and bending over, pressing her backside up against the bars, positioning herself perfectly between them. I reach through the bars and grab her hips, pulling her to me. Ah! I growl and she moans before quickly turning around to face me.

"Not yet, you first." She aggressively kisses me before sliding down my body and pulling off my pants. I grab the bars and press my body against them as much as possible.

Looking up at me from below, she bats her eyelashes and smiles her sexy Rose Hathaway smile. Cupping my jewels she lightly licks them before taking one, then the other in her mouth for a soft caressing with her tongue.

Still cradling them she gently rubs them with her thumb while she trails her tongue from the base to the tip of my fully erect man. _AH! The sensation is intense! _Circling the tip with her tongue a few times I finally feel her close her lips. I press my head against the bars to hold in the moans I want to release.

She moves down, taking in as much of my man as she can. To my surprise she pushes further, I feel a slight pressure and then she takes all of me. I can't contain myself, I moan and growl as she remains at that depth and bobs up and down.

I grip the bars so tight my knuckles turn white. I'm actually grateful for the bars right now or else I would fall over. I can't take the intensity any longer, I give in and explode. She pulls me deeper into her as if that were even possible! Looking down at her, watching her, she has tears in her eyes but she took everything I had. She slowly pulls me out and stands to face me.

"Did you enjoy that Comrade?" She asks in a husky tone.

"Very much." I smash my lips greedily into hers.

"Mine turn." She says pulling away from my lips and smiling a naughty grin. I return her smile and help her undress. Before I let her turn around I caress her breasts and tweak her nipples. She presses them through the bars so I can suckle and nip on them once they're hard.

I run my hand down her side and cup her lady, she moans into my lips. I split her and begin to rub her now throbbing lady.

"Roza, you're so wet." I whisper as I insert a finger.

"Oh Comrade! I'll always be wet for you, you do this to me." She sasses. I growl and flip her around. She instantly bends over eager in anticipation.

I grab her hips and hear her sigh. I slowly press into her, a moan escapes both our lips. I relish in the feeling, I love being inside her, I feel complete.

"Faster." She whimpers. Not wanting to disappoint, I pick up my pace, grunting with each thrust.

"Harder." She commands. I put more force into each thrust, knowing I'll have bruises on my hips in the morning from the bars but I don't care. I feel her building, she whines and moans. All I can think about is pleasing my Roza. I give her all I have.

"AH!" She releases very loudly. Her entire body is quivering. I hold onto her to ensure she doesn't fall over. Once she regains her balance she turns toward me and smiles a devilish grin.

"I'll take round two of that any day." I grin and smash my lips into her. After we both dress we move the mattresses onto the floor next to each other. I pull her close into me and spoon her as best I can.

"Roza?" I ask before we drift off.

"Hmm?" She sleepily replies.

"If we could go anywhere in the world, where would you want to go?" I ask.

"Russia." She says after a few minutes. My body stiffens. "I want you to show me all the beautiful things. I want you to tell me the history of the places." She says rolling over to face me. "And, I think we should go see your family." With that my eyes soften. Yes, I could go to Baia. Maybe we'll even stay, Rose said herself she was happy there. I smile at her. She kisses me before rolling back over and draping my arms protectively over her. We both drift off into slumber.

Sometime later we both wake to a loud raucous from in the guard room. The door swings open but neither Rose nor I move. Whoever it is will have to deal with seeing us cuddle.

"Apparently not even bars will keep you two apart, is there anything that will?" A man's voice says, clearly amused. At the sound of his voice Rose sits up and I follow.

"Hey Old Man." She smirks, he just smiles at her.

"Belikov," Abe turns his attention to me, "I've negotiated your release. You'll be let go at shift change." I nod. Rose reaches for my hand, I feel her panic, she doesn't want to be alone. I give her a reassuring squeeze back. "You and I need to have a little talk when you get out."

"I'm not going anywhere without Rose." I simply say. Abe eyes me warily.

"No?" Abe asks. "Well good, because I have men positioned at the east gate and they won't take too kindly to seeing you. So don't even think about leaving Court." Abe's voice is menacing.

"If I would leave, where would I go? Back home? Where is home really? Home is with my Roza, my family." I say squeezing her hand and looking into her eyes. She smiles at me and my heart swells with love. We both turn to look at Abe, he just nods.

"Okay, well remember, Belikov you'll be released at shift change. That's in about three hours." Abe says walking toward the door. I'm staring at the ground deep in thought. I feel Rose flinch.

"Hey Old Man! Aren't you going to say bye to me, your daughter?" She says.

"Of course, but I'll see you again. Very soon too." Abe says with a wink and walks out of the room.

"He's so weird sometimes." She says rolling her eyes and sitting back down. We return to cuddling but this time I don't sleep.

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A/N: Final Chapter - What do you think will happen?


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N - Thanks everyone for your continued support and reviews throughout this story! I'd like to shout out to a few special reviewers QueenOfSavas, bboop14, Twilight407501, and Guest Reviewer MelissaDB'sLover – your comments always made me smile! The final chapter, I hope it won't disappoint! Let me know what you think about the finale! **

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**Chapter 14**

I gaze upon her as she sleeps in my arms. I take the time to memorize the feeling of her body against mine, the smoothness of her skin and the sound of her heartbeat. My arms instinctively tighten as I pull her closer to me. I bury my face in her luscious dark hair and inhale her intoxicating sweet scent that I love so much.

"Did you just smell me?" She asks. Even with her back to me I know she's smiling.

"Yes." I say brushing her ear with my lips. I feel a shiver run through her body. I love how her body reacts to me.

"Dimitri," she says rolling over to face me, "promise me you'll watch after Lissa."

"No." I say, a look of horror and shock covers her face. "Roza, I already told you I'm not leaving you again." A small smile tugs on the corner of her luscious pink lips.

"I don't think they'll let you stay here Comrade." She smirks and I shrug. "I'll always love you." She says. "No matter what happens, remember I love you, I always have and always will." A lone tear runs down her cheek. I reach up and wipe it away with my thumb and rest my forehead on the bars that separate us.

"My sweet Roza I told you this isn't the end." I say as I pull her lips to mine. There is something different about this kiss. It's slow, yet powerful. Her tongue delicately brushes against my upper lip before flickering the tip of my tongue causing me to growl. I graze her lower lips with my teeth and gently nibble until she moans.

"I love you so much." She whispers as the main door opens. We both freeze but don't separate.

"Oh, um, it's time." Mikhail says as he unlocks and opens my door. "I'll give you two a moment of privacy." He says as he walks back out of the room.

"Dimitri." Rose whispers as she grips onto my back. I hear the pain and nervousness in her voice. She'll never admit it but I can tell she's scarred.

"Shhh…" I coo as I twirl her hair between my fingers. "I already told you I'm not going anywhere without you." She pulls away from and steps out of my reach. Her eyes sad with worry, but this time it's worry for me not fear for herself.

"Yes you are. Go." She says looking toward my open cell door. "Dimitri!" Her chocolate brown eyes grow wide with confusion. "The keys, he left them in the door."

"Yes, yes he did." I smirk as I step closer to her, reaching my hands through the bars to her. She takes my hand, her features questioning everything. "Are you ready?" I ask, cocking one eye brow.

"Ready for what?" She asks warily.

"The start of our new life together." I say with nervousness itching at my skin, my heartbeat rapidly growing with every silent second that passes. I know there is a chance she won't go, that she'll choose to stay. I just hope it's a small percentage.

"Yes." She says firmly squeezing of my hand and flashing a very mischievous grin. As quick as I can I spin around grabbing the keys from the cell door and open her door. She runs into my arms and I hold her in a tight embrace.

"I love you." I pull away from her looking into her deep brown eyes, I grab her hand "Don't let go." With that we head to the main door.

Peering around the corner I see Mikhail next to the door. I quickly raise my arm and punch him square in the temple. I catch him as he fall unconscious. Laying him on the ground we step over him and look around the room. About half a dozen other guardians are present, but not a single one moves toward us.

"Adrian?" Rose's voice full of surprise. I follow her gaze to find Adrian standing across the room near the exit.

"Little Dhampir are you leaving so soon?" Adrian asks with a smirk. "Belikov." He says nodding to me.

I walk to him and extend out my hand, he takes my forearm. No words are needed for us to understand each other. Rose stands next to me looking around the room.

"You're using compulsion." She whispers, wide-eyed at Adrian.

"Don't worry, everyone thinks I'm passed out drunk." He winks.

"We need to go, now." I say looking out the window as I reach my hand for Rose.

"Did you tell her?" Adrian asks.

"Tell me what?" She asks looking between me and Adrian.

"If you leave..." I start and stumble over my words. Putting on my stoic guardian mask I continue.

"You're already the main suspect in the Queen's murder. By escaping you're securing your fate. You'll be marked as a fugitive. Unless we can clear your name, you won't ever be able to return." Her eyes go wide with fear. I know everything that she's thinking. Leaving the only life she ever knew, and leaving Lissa. After an agonizing minute, I see her face twitch and realize she's made her decision.

"I understand." She grabs my hand and squeezes. "Let's go." Turning one last time to Adrian she says, "Thank you, for everything. Tell Lissa…"

"I know. I will. And I'll see you soon." Adrian says as we head out the door. "OH, Belikov, in the alley one block down are two bags." I nod and allow a sign of appreciation to cross my face.

We briskly walk holds hands with our heads down to the alley. Quickly changing our clothes we set off across the plaza. Looking down at Rose I can't help but smile. She's in a simple jean skirt. It sits low on her waist and fits snug through her hips, before flowing loose with ruffles to mid thigh. Her top is a beautiful deep rose color with a low scoop neck that's teasing me with her sexy cleavage. It has small sleeves, what did my sisters call them, capped-sleeves? She slipped on a pair of sequin black flip-flops and quickly braided her hair into two pigtails. I've never seen her in such attire, she looks stunning and I can't help the flutter of my heart and the heat in my pants.

I on the other hand, changed into a pair of jeans with a white t-shirt, baseball cap and also a pair of flip-flops. Whoever packed these bags for us had a sense of humor. I hesitated only a moment before leaving my signature duster behind. We walk hand-in-hand through court. Not many people are out and about at this hour and with our disguises we don't attract any attention. As we near the East Gate Rose pulls me in another direction.

"What's the matter?" I ask as I put my arm around her shoulder.

"Those are Abe's men standing at the black SUV next to the guard house." She clenches her jaw, possibly upset that Abe wasn't bluffing when he threatened my life. A one-sided smile tugs at my lips. She's still protecting me.

"Hey, it's okay. Come on." I say pulling her toward the East Gate. As we approach the back door of the SUV opens and the engine starts. I pick up our pace and push her in the backseat. Before the door is closed the driver puts it in gear and drives away, exiting court.

"Are you okay?" I glance over and meet her eyes. She shyly smiles.

"You planned this. All of you." It's a statement, not question, but I nod anyway. "Why didn't you tell me? Do you not trust me?" She sounds hurt.

"Rose," I pull her closer to me, "it's not that I didn't want to tell you. And you know I trust you with my life." She gives me a wry look. Running my hand through my hair I take a deep breath before continuing. "I didn't want to give you a chance to over think your decision and decide against it." I hang my head low I know she's smoldering with anger. To my surprise she slides onto my lap straddling me.

"Comrade that was a bold move, good thing it didn't backfire on you." She says, her eyes ablaze with lust. Leaning into me her lips meet mine as her hands find their way under my shirt to rest on my bare chest. My hands move up and squeeze her hips. "I need you." She whispers. Pulling away I raise my eyebrows in question.

"Please." She begs. "I need you to calm my nerves and settle my stomach that's twisted with anxiety." How can I deny her when she's batting her long eyelashes and pouting her sexy lips? I reach over and slide up the divider between us and the front seat.

"I may have to buy you more skirts." I whisper into her ear as I nibble on her lobe. She giggles and unbuttons my jeans.

"And what shall we do about you? Would you like a kilt?" She sasses as her delicate hands reach in and release my fully erect manhood. I moan as she strokes him.

Her lips find mine and my hands find her breasts as she rears up and slowly slides down on top of me. We both sigh at the feeling of fullness, our puzzle piece is complete. We just sit there, staring into each other eyes, getting lost in the moment.

"You're so beautiful." I murmur.

"I love you." She smiles back.

"I love you too." I finally allow myself to smile.

"So, where are we going?" She asks, squirming a little before laying her head on my shoulder.

"To see my family." I thrust up once which makes her squeal, her eyes sparkling with delight. I pull her in close to me and hold her tight. "Roza, will you be mine?"

"Yes, always and forever." I feel her lips pull into a grin. Passion for my Roza courses through my body. I growl as lay her down on the seat next to me and lose complete and utter control of myself.

Her eyes go wide with anticipation and her grin turns mischievous. Giddy with excitement she begins to laugh, which only drives me wilder. I thrust once, twice, three times and her laugh turns to moans. My hands reach under her shirt lifting her bra to find her bare breasts. I slowly caress and pull at her nipples, which earn me more beautiful sounds from her luscious lips.

And all too soon the car stops. We hear the driver door open and voices outside. Ruefully we detach our bodies and straighten our clothes. I pull her in for a kiss before exiting the vehicle.

"To be continued in Russia, my love." I whisper in her ear.

"Or before." She flashes a very sultry look as she gazes upon the private jet in front of us. I pull her to my side as we board the jet that will take us on our journey to start our new life together.


End file.
